


all the long years will never bring you home

by handschuhmaus



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: I began this AGES ago and hmm maybe will continue it, I'm quite sure I never posted it here, Originally Posted on Tumblr, padme's campaign to be queen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2015-12-01
Packaged: 2019-08-18 18:05:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16522049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/handschuhmaus/pseuds/handschuhmaus





	all the long years will never bring you home

“It was my general impression,” she said, studying her fingernails but giving the statement a certain weighty emphasis “that it usually results in their either falling under its sway or despising it.”

Jobal Nabarrie was too much a gentlewoman to outright glare at her guest, especially on such an occasion as this, but she could not help a disapproving glance. Padme had only just returned to her side and pressed her young head against her mother’s gown, but even she wondered at this curious declaration, and at the Senator’s hands to which she paid such attention at present: knobbly fingers with wrinkled knuckles and the skin of the proverbial backs clearly thin and spotted with freckles.

“Well, I do hope you have reconsidered that opinion, Senator,” Jobal now responded in perfectly polite tones. “It is not as if such cases are common.” She looked warily at Padme, as if she did not really want her daughter present for this exchange.

“Not here on Naboo, then?” she queried innocently enough.

“No, I should think not. Here, well–and you know my daughter shall be queen, Palpatine,” which she did not seem to consider an ideal mode of address, “–we have every way to prevent such things.”

“How long have you had it?” She asked flippantly. 

“‘How long have we–’” Jobal repeated in astonishment, “what, manners of prevention? I am not sure if you know your own planet, my dear, if you question that.”

Palpatine now looked steadily at Padme’s mother, her eyes steely. “Perhaps not,” she allowed, if only rhetorically. “How old is she?”

“I’m seven,” Padme reported, hoping this was not too impudent, given the question was about her.

“Seven?” the Senator then addressed her mother, “And you already will have her as queen?”

Padme’s father, Ruwee, came over and handed his wife a cup of the purple punch which Padme was not allowed to drink. “Why not?” He interjected into their conversation with a broad smile, “I don’t know a little girl that isn’t fascinated with princesses.”

“Fascination, Nabarrie, is not the same as principled stewardship or responsibility,” she answered firmly.

“It’s a tradition,” Ruwee protested incredulously, “You’ve been too long on Coruscant if you genuinely doubt our institutions in this way.”

Jobal looked at her husband curiously. “Yes, well, speaking of institutions, we were discussing the Senator’s late father, Ruwee.”

Is that what they were talking about? Padme wondered as her father asked “Him? Oh, great man. Such a shame to lose him. I don’t think he’s anything to do with our daughter’s campaign, though.”

“Thank you for your condolences,” Palpatine said in a patently false tone.

Ruwee frowned at the Senator and said more privately to his wife, “Have you talked with Bibble yet about his opinions?”

While her parents consulted over some detail of her upcoming campaign, Padme asked the Senator curiously, “Did you have any siblings?”

“I did,” Palpatine answered distractedly, “but they no longer live on Naboo.” She seemed to be trying to overhear Padme’s parents’ discussion.

Padme wondered whether this was a roundabout way of saying her siblings, too, had died, and opted to try saying formally, “My condolences.”

At that, she seemed rather taken aback. “It is…” she paused, searching for the right phrasing, “not the same as with you and your sister, child, I assure you. But you are unlikely to meet her.”

“Does she look like you?” Padme asked curiously.

“Only a bit,” the Senator answered. “Padme–why do you want to be queen?”

“To help my people,” she said, in almost uncomfortably formal diction.

“And if that was not the best way you could help them?”

Padme frowned at her. Was she really asking that? “I excel in all my government classes. I’m good at junior diplomacy and I can read the legislation almost as well as Sola.”

“Mmm,” Palpatine murmured, “but do you know what it means?”

“We have tests.” Surely she knew this–she would have gone to school, after all, it wasn’t as if education didn’t predate the Senator’s childhood.

Glancing at her parents, who even now were headed towards Bibble and the great knot of people with whom he was talking, Palpatine took a seat on the low padded bench at the edge of the room, the better to not look down on her, and invited Padme to sit beside her.

“How, I wonder, do your parents rule their house?”

Padme looked confusedly at her. “Rule their house? Everyone knows it’s only proper for children to have a say in the rules.”

Palpatine looked away, up at the corner between wall and ceiling–or was it sort of an edge, Padme wondered, based on her geometry class–with a curious expression before turning back to her. “You believe you can be a fair queen?”

“You really think I wouldn’t?” Padme asked, astonished. “I do quite well in Principled Executive Powers class, Senator Palpatine.”

“There is more involved in power than what you are instructed in in school, child,” she remarked pointedly. “Nevertheless,” though she said it a bit whimsically, “I think I will be supporting your campaign.”

“Are you allowed to do that? I mean, we haven’t covered Senatorial co-campaign regulations yet, but the galactic law instructor said something about having to be unbiased–”

“Yes, well, I am at least allowed to say whether I think some of you should make potentially decent monarchs or not. I will not demand you advocate for my views.”

Padme nodded determinedly and said firmly “I will be a good queen, Senator, just as you’re a good legislator.”

Senator Palpatine half-smiled at her at this.

~end part 1~


End file.
